Invenergy scraps project on Wisconsin regulatory uncertainty

A committee in the Wisconsin state legislature has blocked enactment of a uniform setback distance rule for wind turbines due to take effect last 1 March, a move industry supporters say could hinder sector development.

The decision by the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules allows Republicans, who have a majority in both houses, 30 days to introduce legislation that would “correct” the rule that was suspended. The 5-2 vote was along party lines, with two Democrats and one Republican absent.

The Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) last year fixed the turbine setback at 381 meters from a residence, a result of 18 months of public hearings on the issue. It was a compromise between landowners and the wind industry, and was crafted with the help…

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